A new career chapter in the toy story

A new career chapter in the toy story

A new career chapter in the toy story

The Toy Retailers Association has released its hotly anticipated ‘Dream Toys’ list – the annual low-down of must-have gifts for Christmas.

The group, which represents businesses in the toy trade all across the UK, is offering a wide variety of suggestions – more than 70 toys made it on to the long list – to ensure plenty of happy kids come the big day.

These include Polly Pocket Big World Assortment, HatchiBabies and Ricky The Trick-Lovin’ Pup.

Of course, the scramble to promote toys begins long before the festive season even begins.

Toy fairs are where retail outlets decide what will be on the shelves: from Fingerlings Untamed Dinos, LEGO’s Harry Potter Hogwarts Express and the latest I-Top spinning top.

The next stage is to create the right buzz among the right audience: one that leaves parents in no doubt what their kids will expect to find under the Christmas tree,

This involves a range of marketing, PR and media professionals . . . all roles that are available online.

Social Media Manager

Land this role and you’ll be leading online communications with potential customers by steering sales and advertising campaigns through social media outlets favoured by the audiences your company wants to reach.

A blend of media experience coupled with commercial know-how – often picked up in public relations – will help bag this job.

Marketing to customers digitally needs different skills when it comes to writing, so journalism alone won’t be enough to move into social media excellence.

The best way to demonstrate your abilities is simply by doing it. Run your own personal campaigns online to show how you can build your reach and have influence.

Media Buyer

As important as social media is, it can’t cover every potential customer. The media buyer will be skilled at finding the right spaces to promote products in newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and online.

These all need to work together and be timed exactly to form a joined-up campaign.

Sales and marketing experience, with a good knowledge of multi-media, will be required. An advertising agency background will provide a good foundation, while negotiation skills can help clients get the best advertising rates.

Building long-lasting relationships with media outlets is also important – so being able to network is a must.

Web Content Manager

This managerial position has responsibility for looking after the content and maximising the reach of a company’s website.

This requires someone who knows not only what the most appropriate words and pictures should be but also how to keep people on the site, clicking through to any areas that earn the company money or promote potential sales.

It also takes knowledge of how the site can most easily be found via search engines.

Videographer

These days a static photograph online is not enough to judge the size and quality of products.

Now that websites have more dynamic content, customers want to see just how a coat hangs on a model, a computer game looks in action or a toy functions in the real world.

The videographer is essentially a photographer with moving pictures . . . of course, this requires great skills in filmmaking and editing.

The videographer will need to know about different formats and what will work best on each social media platform.

It’s not a solo job, however, as making the videos will usually be part of larger marketing campaigns.

This year, these pros and many more will be hoping to sell everything from clothes and cosmetics to technology and toys.

However, the latest Christmas campaigns – such as Iceland’s, which focuses on saving an orphaned orangutan’s forest home – may prove advertising not only sells products but can also effect positive change in the world.

If you’d like to become involved, why not check out the latest career opportunities online now?

Ipsoregulated

This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact the editor here. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can contact IPSO here